Ever since Pope Francis came into his role as head of the Catholic Church, he has defied expectations and won the hearts and minds of many Catholics and non-Catholics alike. His tolerant and liberal viewpoints on social issues have fueled much speculation that the Catholic Church may be headed in a new direction. But there […]
One of the most frustrating roadblocks in pursuing justice for victims of sex abuse is the statute of limitations. Pennsylvania SOL laws tend to be more generous than those in other states, but they nonetheless prevent many victims from pursuing a civil lawsuit, criminal charges, or both. Statutes of limitations are even more problematic for […]
In our post last week, we began a discussion about recognizing, preventing and responding to child sexual abuse. Advocacy groups like Darkness to Light (D2L) are actively working in Pennsylvania and around the country to combat child sex abuse and are asking all responsible adults to get involved. On its website, D2L outlines a five-step […]
When children are sexually abused by adults who are supposed to be loving and trustworthy, the experiences are more than traumatic. Often, victims are left feeling alone and isolated. They feel that no one can understand what they have gone through and that no one will even believe their accusations. This is especially the case […]
In December, we wrote about the fact that victims of sex abuse and other violent crime commonly experience lapses in memory and hazy recall of details. This phenomenon is not evidence that a victim is lying. Rather, research has shown that this is often a byproduct of the way that the human brain copes with trauma. […]
The Jerry Sandusky criminal trial and civil settlements brought to the public’s attention a series of crimes that one man had perpetrated against dozens of innocent victims. The number of victims and the lengthy timeline of abuse was overwhelming for many Americans following the trial. They also served as an important reminder that child sexual […]
One of the major stories currently making news has to do with contested sexual assault allegations. Recently, Rolling Stone Magazine did a feature story about a young woman identified as “Jackie,” who is or was a student at the University of Virginia. She alleged in an interview that she had been gang raped by a […]
We have previously written about the problem of child sex abusers who gain access to their victims by taking jobs that involve interaction with kids. This includes teachers and youth sports coaches. Sometimes, however, adults are not the offenders. Other kids are. Under the guise of “hazing” rituals, sexual violence has become a major problem in […]
The Jerry Sandusky scandal has largely left the headlines (although his crimes have inspired more stringent laws in Pennsylvania for adults who want to work with children). The evidence against Sandusky was so plentiful and so strong that, once exposed, he was easily convicted. After the criminal trial concluded, many sexual abuse victims were able to obtain […]
Earlier this month, we wrote about a Pennsylvania priest who has been charged with possession of child pornography and sex tourism. Under the guise of missionary work, the priest allegedly traveled to Central America to sexually abuse boys in orphanages. Until his arrest, that priest worked in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. If that diocese sounds […]